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Idioms based on the body and bodily functions. Select an idiom for more details. Also try Body Idioms Quiz.

(have) egg on your face INFORMAL


(your) hands are tied


(your) heart goes out to (someone)


(your) heart is in the right place


(your) heart isn't in it


a bad hair day INFORMAL

If you're having a bad hair day, everything seems to be going wrong for you.

a gut feeling


a head start


a kick in the teeth

If you get a kick in the teeth, something bad happens to you or you feel that you've been treated poorly.

a knuckle sandwich INFORMAL

If you give someone a knuckle sandwich, you punch them.

a pain in the neck INFORMAL

You can say someone is a pain in the neck if they annoy you, or something is a pain in the neck if you don't like doing it.

a pat on the back

You've given someone a pat on the back if you've told them they've done something well, or done a good job.

a shot in the arm INFORMAL


a sight for sore eyes INFORMAL


a skeleton in the cupboard | closet


a slap on the wrist


a slip of the tongue


a weight off your shoulders

You can say a weight is off your shoulders if you no longer have to worry about something or deal with something difficult.

Achilles' heel

An Achilles' heel is a weakness that could result in failure.

an eye-opener


behind someone's back


bite your tongue | hold your tongue


break your heart


by word of mouth


caught red-handed


come to your senses


dig your heels in


drag your feet | drag your heels


ear to the ground INFORMAL


easy on the eye


elbow grease


eyes like a hawk


face to face


feel the pinch


find your feet


get it off your chest


get off on the wrong foot


go over your head


grease someone's palm INFORMAL

If you grease someone's palm, you pay them a bribe.

hard to swallow


have a heart-to-heart


have your hands full

If you have your hands full, you're busy.

have your head in the clouds


heads will roll


hold your head high | hold your head up high


It's written all over your face.


itchy feet British English INFORMAL


joined at the hip

If two people or things are joined at the hip, they're so closely linked as to be almost inseparable.

jump down your throat | jump all over you


jump out of your skin INFORMAL


keep an eye on


keep your nose clean


lend someone a hand

If you lend someone a hand, you help them.

let your hair down


lose face


lose your head


more than meets the eye

You can say there's more to something than meets the eye if it's more complex, more important or more interesting than it seems at first.

music to your ears


neck and neck


nerves of steel


off the top of your head INFORMAL


on the one hand | on the other hand


on your last legs | on its last legs INFORMAL


pay through the nose INFORMAL


pick somebody's brains

If you pick somebody's brains, you ask them for detailed information or ideas about something.

play it by ear


pull someone's leg INFORMAL


put someone's nose out of joint INFORMAL

If you put someone's nose out of joint, you upset them by not treating them with as much respect or consideration as they think they deserve.

put your foot in it


put your foot in your mouth


rack your brains | rack you brain


see eye to eye


shoot yourself in the foot


stick out like a sore thumb | stand out like a sore thumb

If someone sticks out like a sore thumb, or stands out like a sore thumb, everyone notices them because they're not the same as the people around them.

teething problems | teething troubles


the gift of the gab | the gift of gab


the upper hand

If you have the upper hand, you have the advantage or you're in the stronger position in a contest or a conflict.

up in arms

If you are up in arms, you are angry about something that you think is unfair or wrong.

up to your neck | up to your eyeballs

If you're up to your neck in something, or up to your eyeballs in something, you've got too much of it and it's become a problem.

vent your spleen

If you vent your spleen, you express your anger.

vote with your feet

If you vote with your feet, you show your opinion of something by acting in a certain way, such as by buying something if you like it, or by not buying it if you don't like it.

warts and all

If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.

wash your hands of something


weak at the knees

If you go weak at the knees, you feel an emotion so strongly that it makes you feel unstable on your feet.

wear your heart on your sleeve

If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you show your emotions openly and you don't try to hide your feelings.

wet behind the ears INFORMAL

If someone is wet behind the ears, they don't have much experience of life.

work your socks off | work your tail off

If you work your socks off, or work your tail off, you work very hard.



young at heart

Someone is young at heart if they still feel young even though they're getting old.

young blood

If you say "young blood", you mean young people who have fresh, new ideas and lots of energy.
Also try Body Idioms Quiz.

Contributor: Matt Errey